Recap: Runway Reimagined Fashion Show

As New York Fashion Week wraps up, I am once again dreaming of attending NYFW someday. (London, Milan and Paris, will of course also do.) As a Seattle-based Style Blogger, although I may yet to have my NYFW dreams come true, I am often lucky enough to be invited to local fashion shows. Seriously, is this real life? One of my favorites in 2015 was the Runway Reimagined fashion show put on by Savers / Value Village and Eco Fashion Week. It has been on my to do list for quite some time to share about this amazing show celebrating sustainable fashion. Since I can't be at NYFW this year, I thought now the perfect time to revisit and share some of my favorite looks from Runway Reimagined with you.

The Runway Reimagined fashion show celebrated all ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and reimagine clothing. With the average person throwing away an astonishing 68+ pounds of textiles each year, it has become so important to consider the detrimental impacts this has on our world's natural resources. As my current closet overpours with clothing and I ponder when I will KonMari my closet, I also now consider where those tossed pieces go (fix, sell, donate, reimagine). Because going green never goes out of style!

Held at Axis in Pioneer Square, Seattle, the Runaway Reimagined show began with a cocktail hour and the opportunity to mingle amongst the Seattle fashion and sustainability community. Runway Reimagined, now in it's second year, was actually composed of 2 fashion shows: the 68 Pound Challenge and Thrift Style.

First down the runway was the 68 Pound Challenge, a collection by fashion designer and former Project Runway contestant Carlie Wong. Representing the amount of clothing and textiles the average North American discards each each, the collection was made up entirely of 68 pounds of recycled textiles. Next, Thrift Style, a trend-focused show featuring stylists Alyssa Blanco and Karla Ortiz, included runway worthy looks using only previously loved clothing from Value Village. 

Both shows were incredibly inspiring and entirely on trend. I left with so many ideas on how to transform my wardrobe using pieces I already own. It also inspired me to head out to some of my favorite thrift stores in Seattle and start my upcoming Thrifting Thursday series with you (coming soon!). I'll be sharing favorite thrifted items, favorite spots to score those fab thrift finds, ways to style thrifted/vintage items with other items in your closet, and my other tricks of the trade for scoring big while helping the planet. It all starts next week with a fabulous faux fur I picked up at Value Village. 

And did you know that shopping at Savers / Value Village not only makes for a greener planet, but that your donations of reusable items to their nonprofit partners at their stores creates reliable funding in support of their mission to improve lives through the power of reuse?! In Seattle, Value Village purchases goods directly from organizations including Northwest Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound and SightConnection to stock their shelves.

I know that I'm definitely feeling inspired, empowered and excited to make clothing choices that benefit the environment, my community and world. 68 pounds of textiles, you will not be tossed in 2016, at least by this Style Blogger. How will you reimagine your clothing? What will you do with your 68 pounds of textiles?

Happy Reimagining!

xoxo

Photo Credit: Phototainment